The "big name" in action adventure writing in the mid-20th century, Alistair MacLean, enjoyed considerable success writing best-sellers that Hollywood often turned into movies, such as The Guns of Navarone and Ice Station Zebra. His very first book, however, has an immediacy and authenticity that his later works do not quite match. He wrote H.M.S. Ulysses in three months while teaching school, based on his own experiences serving on a Royal Navy Cruiser in the disastrous Convoy PQ 17 during the Second World War. Although a work of fiction, his writing gives the impression of a true story told by an active participant. He works into the narrative the harsh conditions of arctic sailing in wartime – small details about which an armchair sailor would not even dream. MacLean created a unique and unusual blend of reality and fiction that you do not often find.
H.M.S. Ulysses / by Alistair MacLean Fiction - 2nd Floor Fic MacLean
List of all works by Alisair MacLean in the MI Library collection (including movies).
